Cardinals select Kyler Murray with No. 1 pick of 2019 NFL Draft

The Arizona Cardinals selected quarterback Kyler Murray out of Oklahoma with the first overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Murray has been considered for months as the favorite to be chosen No. 1 overall. He won the Heisman Trophy with the Sooners in 2018 and made the highly debated decision to pursue a football career over one in baseball.

While still at Texas Tech, new Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said he would take Murray first overall if he had the chance. This sparked speculation that the Oklahoma passer would be the choice at the top of the draft.

With its newest draft pick officially a member of the team, Arizona is expected to deal Josh Rosen, who was selected in the first round of last year's draft. The Cardinals stood by their 2018 starter multiple times during the offseason but will now look for a trade partner for him. The New York Giants, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Redskins have all been linked to Rosen.

Prospect profile

School: Oklahoma
Height: 5-10
Weight: 207 lbs

Strengths

• Natural passer who can make any throw on the field
• Excellent accuracy and ball placement at all levels
• Makes good pre-snap reads
• Can extend plays either by escaping pressure or moving within the pocket
• Dynamic ball carrier
• Does a good job protecting himself from taking big hits
• Has a knack for making the big play

Weaknesses

• Doesn't read the whole field or go through progressions from the pocket
• Generally goes into improvise mode if his first read isn't there
• Height could be an issue from the pocket in the NFL
• Thin frame raises potential durability concerns
• Only one year as a starter

Bottom line

Murray has the most upside of any quarterback in this draft. He's a big play waiting to happen in every phase, possesses the arm talent to make any throw on the field with incredible accuracy and touch, and has perhaps the most dangerous running ability we've seen from the quarterback position since Michael Vick. It's a truly tantalizing skill set. He still needs to improve his decision-making process as a passer, as he has a tendency to improvise when his first read isn't there, but his ability to make game-changing plays while freelancing certainly mitigates the downside. His height has never really been an issue for him despite being a great source of debate throughout the draft process. In a more modern, spread-type offense, that'll continue to be the case. His thin frame is more of an issue, creating concern about durability and ball security in the NFL. Protecting himself will be crucial. However, if he ends up in an offense that plays to his strengths, Murray could end up as one of the league's best quarterbacks.